Episode 1: The Chalice Study
The Chalice Study introduces Chalice Wong, a 10-year-old girl whose father, Dr. James Moonweed Wong, installs an experimental AI named Bag Of Beliefs (BOB) into her nervous system to guide her through the challenges of maturing in an ever-changing world. As Dr. Wong begins to favor the BOB side of Chalice, and as BOB threatens to do the job of living Chalice’s life better than her, Chalice jealously wonders: what is left for her classic human self to do?
Plot[edit]
Voice Cast[edit]
- Poonam Basu as Chalice Wong / BOB (Chyna Horchow), Sister San
- Cherami Leigh as Chalice Wong (20 years old) / BOB (Chyna Horchow) (20 years old)
- Dana Lee as Dr. James Moonweed Wong
- Sean Patton as Zoroaster (Z)
- Gwendoline Yeo as Chairman Ava
- Aly Mawji as Orlando de Blair, Commander Alan
- Jennifer Swanner as Princess Wendy, voice of ZIM, humanistas
- Ivaylo Getov as ZIM Engineer 1 & 2
- Gensho Tasaka as humanistas
Development[edit]
Based on manga first shown at Venice Bienniale 2019.
Production[edit]
Production during Covid-19 pandemic. Zoom. Mocap layout, then anim refinement. Unity.
Production Credits[edit]
Written & Directed by Ian Cheng ~ Produced by Veronica So ~ Animation Producer Nick Sung ~ Technical Producer Ivaylo Getov ~ Director of Photography Eric Yue ~ Editor Jess Fulton ~ Animation Supervisor Valerie Scheiber ~ Sound Design Akritchalerm Kalayanamitr ~ Music by Brian Reitzell
Voice Performances: Chalice Wong / BOB Poonam Basu ~ Chalice (20) / Chyna Cherami Leigh ~ Dr. James Moonweed Wong Dana Lee ~ Chairman Ava Gwendoline Yeo ~ Zoroaster Sean Patton ~ Orlando de Blair and Commander Alan Aly Mawji ~ Princess Wendy (voice of ZIM) Jennifer Swanner ~ Sister San Poonam Basu ~ ZIM Engineers Ivaylo Getov ~ Humanistas Jennifer Swanner, Gensho Tasaka
Animation Dept: Lead Animation Paul Wood, Corey Stisser, Jenna Jaillet ~ Mocap Editor & Layout David Peng ~ Additional Animation Lauren Assadofsky, Craig Maras, Rob Somers, David Cohen ~ Movement Design & Choreography Madeline Hollander ~ Mocap Performance Caroline Bloom ~ Facial Mocap Performance Ivaylo Getov, Veronica So ~ Character Rigging Chris Nelder ~ Mocap & Maya Pipeline Twisted Mountain Animation, Kerie Green, Fraser Sunderland
Art Dept: Production Design Elle Michalka, James Noellert ~ Character Design Alice Lemma, Sophie Li ~ Lead Concept Artist Linnea Sterte ~ Additional Concept Design Jonathan Djob Nkondo, James Paterson, Jay Quercia, Alvin Fai, Eran Hilleli ~ Character Modeling Maritza Louis ~ Lead Environment Artist Shuruq Tramontini ~ Additional 3D Modeling Caco Peguero, Shanaz Byrne, Breht O'Hearn, Travis Ragsdale ~ Title and Poster Design Vasilis Marmatakis ~ ZIM Corporate Design Kenneth Cheng Story Dept: Head of Story Nick Sung ~ Story Artist Kallen Chi ~ Story Consultants Anthony Weintraub, Adam Thirlwell
Unity Real-time Cinematics Development: Technical Director Ivaylo Getov ~ Lead Unity Artist Shuruq Tramontini ~ Technical Supervisor Corbin Ordel ~ Graphics Developer Nicholas Shelton ~ Unity Developers Samuel Eng, Yang Wang ~ VFX Designer Sam Loeschen ~ VFX Artist Ryan Zeng ~ Additional VFX Rui An ~ Crowd Animation Corey Stisser ~ Procedural Wardrobe Stylist Veronica So
Unity Interactive Development: Wiki Developer Alden Rivendale Jones ~ World Watching Developer Oren Shoham ~ World Watching Artist Shuruq Tramontini ~ Additional Wiki Design Sixing Xu ~ Interactive Design FLOAT ~ UX Artist Samuel Eng
Sound Dept: Re-recording Mix Akritchalerm Kalayanamitr ~ Surround Mastering Mix Michael Barry ~ Sound Assistant Jiho Kim ~ ADR Engineering Ivaylo Getov ~ Additional ADR Engineering Matt Mehlan, Tyler Swanner, Nick Chirumbolo ~ Kantana Sound Studio: Sound Post Production Supervisor Traithep Wongpaiboon ~ Foley Recordists Jirapong Mingkwan, Narongsak Deetae ~ Foley Artists Thanasak Julakate, Supawit Bhovijitra, Narongsak Deetae, Amornpong Thokaeonopparat ~ Foley Editors Chalida Buranabunpot, Nusorn Thongkhum, Napatz Singkarat ~ Foley Production Coordinators Veerin Kongsuwan, Aoun Patiporn, Chatlada Saijaioub ~ Score Mixer Kenneth Sluiter ~ String Arrangements Roger Joseph Manning Jr. ~ Guitar Dave Harrington ~ Vocals Hazel Reitzell ~ Instrument Builder Chris Banta
Production: Additional Production Metis Suns LLC ~ Associate Producer Kyrha Lever ~ Production Advisor Laura Lupton
